More game fee questions

[James Toon]

I expect the answer to these questions is obvious, but I can't immediately find it on the ECF website.

1. For game fee purposes, did the 2023/24 season begin on 1 July 2023 or 1 September 2023?

2. Do online leagues (eg 4NCL Online) attract game fee liability?

[Mike Gunn]

Answer to Q1 is 1st July because game fee is calculated based on games reported to the ECF by June 30th each year.

If you play online games which are ECF rated then you need a minimum of ECF supporter membership to get free rating. Similarly to OTB you will get a certain number of free games before game fee is applied and I think there may be an additional factor applied (3?). OTB you are allowed to play 3 standard play and 7 rapidplay games in any competition before game fee comes in.

[Mike Gunn]

I found the following on the ECF website:

"All players must be ECF members or supporters for an event to be online rated without game fee charges. You can check a player’s membership status in LMS or in the ECF membership system in the organiser’s page on the web site when you are entering results. If you have non-members/ supporters playing the event or league can still be online rated but there will be a charge of £5 per non-member / supporter playing per congress, or per monthly rating period for a league, payable as a non-member game fee to the ECF. Any online game fees should be paid together with a template proforma invoice which should be completed as results are submitted."

So no games are "free" when you play online ECF rated games (cf OTB arrangements which allow non members to play 3 standard or 7 rapidplay games before game fee is charged).

[Jaimie Wilson]

I have a related query which makes me quite concerned about this 30th of June thing, with reference to the introduced rolling ECF memberships. The 'pay to play and game fee 2023/24' page' clarifies that the 30th of June 2024 is the date that covers a player for game fee purposes in the 2023/24 season, both for leagues' team events and club internal events.

However, this throws up some tricky situations that could catch me and other local helpers and organisers out. For example, a local club to me has a player whose membership expired in February 2024, and won't be renewing for medical reasons. I'm hoping some common sense will be applied in cases like this, as it's absurd to me that a player could be rendered in breach of game fee eligibility rules when they were an ECF member throughout the time they were actually playing. I know that rolling memberships were introduced during the 2022/23 season, but this wasn't an issue for us last season as virtually everyone in my area was still on the old September to August memberships at that time.

[NickFaulks]

it's absurd to me that a player could be rendered in breach of game fee eligibility rules when they were an ECF member throughout the time they were actually playing.

I spoke and voted against rolling membership for this sort of reason. The official response was "don't worry, we'll sort out the details" and a clear majority of Council was happy with that.

[Mick Norris]

I have a related query which makes me quite concerned about this 30th of June thing, with reference to the introduced rolling ECF memberships. The 'pay to play and game fee 2023/24' page' clarifies that the 30th of June 2024 is the date that covers a player for game fee purposes in the 2023/24 season, both for leagues' team events and club internal events.

However, this throws up some tricky situations that could catch me and other local helpers and organisers out. For example, a local club to me has a player whose membership expired in February 2024, and won't be renewing for medical reasons. I'm hoping some common sense will be applied in cases like this, as it's absurd to me that a player could be rendered in breach of game fee eligibility rules when they were an ECF member throughout the time they were actually playing. I know that rolling memberships were introduced during the 2022/23 season, but this wasn't an issue for us last season as virtually everyone in my area was still on the old September to August memberships at that time.

There's a list of exceptions for people who don't renew by 30 June

But yes, it's a pain

[Jaimie Wilson]

Thank you for your responses. I guess we'll see how it pans out!